The air in the secret chamber carried the musty scent unique to old scrolls, mixed with the lingering warmth of chakra from the altar.
Hyuga Xiao stood before the pile of newly purified Byakugan Aggregate. The azure glow of his Tenseigan slowly faded, returning to the state of ordinary Byakugan. On his forehead, where the Caged Bird Seal had once been, only faint silver lines remained—marks left behind by the fusion of three Covenant Stone Fragments, resembling an ancient star map.
"So..."
Clone Shisui leaned against the wall, breathing somewhat heavily. His skin looked an unhealthy grayish white in the dim light, his eye sockets deeply sunken. His Sharingan had gone completely blind, leaving only hollow pupils.
"The so-called system was a mark planted by the Observers." Xiao turned around, his voice terrifyingly calm. "Every time I increased my bloodline purity, every time I intercepted fate, I was sending coordinate signals into the stars. Once my purity reaches a certain threshold—"
"Harvested." Shisui finished for him, a mocking curve tugging at his lips. "Like a fattened pig."
Xiao did not refute him.
He walked to the stone table in the corner of the secret chamber. An ancient scroll retrieved from beneath the altar lay there. Its material was unusual, cool to the touch, like the hide of some starry creature. The writing on it belonged to no known language in the Shinobi World, but through the Tenseigan's analysis, he could understand it.
—Observer Civilization, Galaxy γ-7, experimental site designation: Shinobi World-α.
—Experimental objective: cultivate and screen individuals possessing "Starry Sky Realm" potential, extract their Life Origin, and use it to extend the lifespan of the Observer Civilization.
—Marking method: implant the "Fate Guidance System" (false), disguise it as a cheat, and induce targets to actively increase their strength.
—Harvest threshold: